Nigeria’s enrollment and access to university education are far less than the global average while the quality of Nigerian universities graduates continued to deteriorate, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka, has said.
According to the veteran don, this is in line with available data which indicated that gross enrollment in higher education in Africa, and Nigeria by extension, is about 13% compared to greater 70% in the United and 24% in Europe.
Idowu stated these in a convocation lecture titled: “The Future of the Nigerian University System”, delivered at the 28th Convocation Lecture, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti late last week.
He said there is a consensus of opinion that present-day graduates from universities in Nigeria need to gain the necessary and requisite skills and competencies to function productively in the 21st century.
The Applied Geophysics Professor averred that many of the graduates can neither secure choice employment in multinational companies nor generate employment, these quality indicators attest to the weakness or failure of the Nigerian university system.
Idowu said the absence of a governing council hampers the proper functioning of a university and is an anathema to its autonomy and asked the National Assembly to urgently amend the Universities Act, 2003 to provide that “if the Council of a Federal University is dissolved, a new Council shall be constituted not later than three months.”
“There is no doubt that the Nigerian University System has been faced with several constraints that inhibit its ability to deliver on its core mandate of teaching, research and innovation, and community service, which will enhance the quality of graduates produced from Nigerian universities and thus engender national development and technological advancement.
“As reflected in the world university rankings, these constraints have made it almost impossible for Nigerian universities to compete favourably with universities in developed countries, particularly in terms of the quality of graduates produced, which can be measured using various key performance indicators (KPIs), research quality and research environment,” he said.
Idowu observed that the constraints limiting the Nigerian University system could be attributed to the curriculum which is over the years generally fashioned after the colonial legacies designed to produce a workforce rather than impart the right skills and competencies towards the attainment of national development and technological advancement.
He identified other challenges as
poor funding which results in poor educational infrastructure, inadequate laboratories and classrooms, and insufficient quality lecturers; lack of essential resources such as textbooks, teaching materials, and updated technology, lack of clear and concise vision, absence of culture and values; gap between research and industry and incessant strikes.
“Lack of funding can lead to the deterioration of educational infrastructure, including buildings, libraries, and recreational facilities. This not only affects the physical environment but also the motivation and morale of students and teachers. The absence of proper classrooms, libraries, and study spaces can hinder the learning process.
“Overcrowded classrooms and insufficient facilities can create a challenging environment for effective teaching and learning. Inadequate educational infrastructure can limit students’ access to information, restricting their ability to engage in independent research and broaden their knowledge base,” the fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science said.
Idowu also lamented gross underfunding of university and research institutes in Nigeria and most African nations due to political and economic factors;
rigid modes of instructions and assessment with emphasis on rote memorisation and a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching that often hinders the development of critical thinking and practical skills among students.
“Apart from inadequate research facilities, remuneration and incentives for research suffer significantly due to poor funding. In general, remuneration for researchers and academics in Nigerian universities is very poor but could be better and made attractive; incentives for research may not even exist in most Nigerian universities, particularly private universities.
“Apart from research grants and fellowships solely designated for researchers and academics in Africa, most researchers and scholars in Nigerian and African universities find it extremely difficult to attract research grants and fellowships.
“Because of the peculiar circumstances prevailing in universities and research institutes in Nigeria and Africa, many researchers and academics cannot write quality and competitive research grant proposals that would enable them to compete favourably for research grants and fellowships with researchers in the developed world.
“Also, there is the apparent fear by the grant and funding bodies that the researcher would not deploy and utilise the research funds effectively deployed for the purpose they are meant for. There is also the challenge of poor research training and inadequate or absence of research mentorship,” the former vice chancellor noted.
The one time Deputy Vice Chancellor said to address the numerous challenges confronting the Nigerian University System, all stakeholders need to take a comprehensive view of the various components of the problems and contributing factors and address them holistically.
Idowu insisted that any solution proffers should involve the various stakeholders of the Nigerian university system, including the government and proprietors, donors and funding bodies, universities and university managements, academic and non-academic unions of Nigerian University Systems, students, parents/guardians, employers of labour, and alumni bodies.
He suggested that each university should be allowed to design its programmes and curricula based on its mission, vision, and the needs of the students and society while NUC should facilitate and encourage universities to map and benchmark their academic programmes against those of reputable international qualification frameworks.
The scholar said there is a need for government, proprietors and funding bodies to deliberately and intentionally increase funding of the university system and provide adequate teaching and research infrastructure in the universities and research Institutes.
Idowu called on the government to grant universities both academic and financial autonomy as that would allow each university to be creative and innovative in generating internal revenue to support itself without necessarily transferring the cost of university education to the students through tuition fees.
“Also, university policies should guarantee realistic remunerations and adequate incentives for the university system’s faculty members and non-teaching staff. Funding bodies and all stakeholders in the Nigerian university system should deliberately encourage interdisciplinary research and research collaboration.
“Grants and funding bodies should deliberately increase research grant awards for researchers in Nigerian and African universities. The future of the Nigerian University System ultimately depends on what all the stakeholders wants to make of it. The failings of the past and up till the present moment stares us in the face,” he added.